I just bought Aramis.

I just bought Aramis, even though my wife and I enjoy the notes of this cologne the formulation smells rather dated. Is there a fragrance out there that has the essence of Aramis but with a more modern feel to it; I just worry that I'll stick out like a sore thumb wearing this as a man in his 30s.

Re: I just bought Aramis.

I second what Sirnosebleed said, Azuree is essentially the same basic recipe of Aramis, but with less musk and a citrus top. Of course, this assumes that you like the leather and what you find dated are the slightly dirty musks of Aramis.

If you go into niche, you'll find many other leathers. A smoother, suede one is Etat Libre d'Orange Tom of Finland, which also has some saffron and lemon. In mainstream, Bulgari Black has a fun rubber note instead of musky leathers.

Re: I just bought Aramis.

I'm just getting started with this as a hobby/passion, but I think Aramis is fantastic. I wear it a lot and have had many compliments from woman wearing it. I started wearing it because my wife bought it for me as a gift. I guess if you're very young it might not work for you, but I don't see how you can go wrong with this iconic fragrance.

Re: I just bought Aramis.

Aramis is a classic, masculine scent. It is strong, powerful and long lasting, but I can see it not being for everyone. I have worn it off and on since my late teens, but it does feel more geared to the 30 and up group. I say wear it with confidence because there is nothing quite like it!

Re: I just bought Aramis.

If you like it, there is hardly any drawback about this scents. The thing is that, indeed, indeed Aramis does first smell quite dated and extremely dusty, stuffy and heavy to me too. But once the nose overcomes the shock of the first impression, the drydown mellows into a still strong, manly and conservative, yet also one of the most suave, understated and elaborate leather notes one can still find in designer scents.

Re: I just bought Aramis.

It's a fantastic fragrance. By the way, sticking out is a good thing; in this vast sea of boring sport colognes and inoffensive aquatics, it's so refreshing to smell something with real character. Wear it with pride!

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Also, regarding the second part of your post, Cabochard by Grès is another Bernard Chant composition that might fit the bill if, for you, "more modern" means more transparent. The current formulation is much thinner and lighter than the original; quite a shame for fans of the original, but it makes a nice masculine.

Re: I just bought Aramis.

I always felt that Gian Franco Ferre's Pontaccio 21 had a similar vibe to Aramis. Some here agreed with me, others didn't.

While Aramis has been a huge seller in Australia for decades, if my two nephews initial reaction to it is any guide, it may not have much of a future. They both thought it awful, saying it smelled like an old woman's scent. Which sounds absurd to me, but curiously, my wife also dislikes it because it reminds her of some tweed scent her mother used to wear.
Regards,
Renato

Re: I just bought Aramis.

I wore this stuff some years ago. More recently, I had some on a tester strip from a Perfumania at the mall. I let my 19 year old daughter smell it, and she said "Only buy that if you want to smell like an old man."
Bummer.
I still might buy it again, though. And my daughter will just have to get over it.

Re: I just bought Aramis.

Clearly, judging by some of the above posts, Aramis is not for teenagers. But again, I've always gotten very positive responses from women that were even just a little north of high school. Elegance never goes out of style. Even my two daughters, 23 and 25, think it is a very attractive, masculine scent. You can now surmise that I am past 50! Aging gracefully all the way. Lol.

Re: I just bought Aramis.

It's good stuff. If you like it, wear it. If you want something less dense, try Derby. It's a lot more expensive, but I think of it as a more transparent Aramis with a soapy facet. It's excellent, and more versatile for me.

Re: I just bought Aramis.

I figured I would take the chance and wear it with confidence at work today at the hospital; didn't get any compliments but then I usually don't ( nothing to take personally I work with nurses and their noses have become desensitized over the years. I enjoyed the scent immensely after the dry down, and seemed to last longer than my current signature scent Angel Man: Pure Leather. The only problem I'm running into is my wife thinks this is a Cold Weather Scent which sucks since that's what I have Pure Leather, and Le Male (some vanilla smelling scent) for. The only Warm Weather Scent I have atm is D Squared Wood Rock Mountain Wood (admittedly I have been wearing it lately as well even though it's been a cold January). Thank you for your comments and support; it gave me the courage to try this out at work

Re: I just bought Aramis.

Aramis is a very classy scent IMO, but not modern. It's just a timeless classy scent that never goes out of style. Aramis is a much better and more intresting scent than most of the designers you find at the shelf today. If you are a classic type guy, Aramis is just perfect. I don't like to put age on fragrances, it's more about style and personality. Every man with a interest for fragrances should have a bottle of Aramis in the collection.

Re: I just bought Aramis.

I like it (though I've always found it more outdoorsy than classy) but I've only smelled it, possibly overapplied, on frankly not very stylish middle aged and older men. I am a tad worried now that it is some sort of mature men's Cool Water/Le Male and could be seen as a bit of a naff choice.